Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight, I just play in the sandbox. I do however, lay claim to my original characters Ella, Adrian, Christine, Eldre etc and the inclusion of the Fey world.
AN: Another Monday, Another Chapter. I have a dog companion at work today, dogs make everything better. Enjoy ~Hannah
Chapter Eighty-Two – 'If you could rule' – A message
Learning to control my powers was not a walk in the park that the media's portrayal of super people would have led me to believe. I had known that it wouldn't be as easy as clicking my fingers, but I had hoped that it would have been easier than this. I was, I admit, becoming a bit of a grouch but there was only so many times you could get knocked to the floor before it started to wear on you. The task of training me had begun with four people and the various others as more people became intrigued.
Jasper and Caius had banded together to strategically place me in the best position to hone my powers. They had, collectively decided not to take hostages again. I think they were a little weary of what would happen, but I knew they couldn't keep that scenario away for long as it was very possible the other side would use hostages to change the way we fought the battle.
To my absolute horror, Alice had bought a lycra sports set for me to train in that left little to the imagination and made me feel more like I was training to be a prostitute rather than for a war. I couldn't deny that the material allowed me to move in ways I had not considered but I doubted I would be wearing this when the battle started.
I was currently dripping in sweat, the muscles along the back of my shoulders were tensed in pain and my energy was at an all-time low. Before me stood Kate and Jane. I had gotten used to seeing the Jane that everyone else saw but her gift of pain still knocked me for six. I knew she was holding back on her power so as not to damage me permanently, however, she still packed a punch. Kate's power of electricity was no walk in a park either as she could shock me with electricity at an any distance. I was supposed to be trying to fight back with my emotions.
Fighting two on one was a new development. I had, for days, sat in a room with Jasper and worked on separating my emotions from my powers. It was difficult going for a while, for my powers would lash out if I became overwhelmed or angry. Separating myself from my emotions was something I'd never considered I'd have to do in life and made me feel like I was a robot from the future. It was difficult to switch off that part of me and it was only knowing that this was something I had to learn that kept me going.
I had to meditate a lot and ground my powers around me. Meditating cleared my head and allowed me to lock my emotions away in the back of my mind. Creating a lockbox in my mind was the hardest, Jasper spoke a lot about mindscapes and how to control and use them. The idea of locking my emotions away to a place where I couldn't reach them seemed both impossible and scary to me. Jasper made it his personal mission to make me understand the importance of a good structured mindscape and that locking my emotions away didn't remove them completely or forever. I could unlock them at any time, but it meant they'd be removed from me while I used my powers.
I hoped that once the darkness had passed that I wouldn't have to focus so much on the control of my powers while also feeling emotion, but it would be a good practice to keep up.
Currently, Kate and Jane were alternating in pushing their powers into me and I was supposed to blow them with one of my powers. So far, I'd found that air was the most reliable at blocking another's power. With air, not only could I block another's power, but I could use the air to redirect it elsewhere. It took a lot of concentration and if I wavered from the direction I'd asked the wind to go, chaos erupted. I was, however, a smug moment when I managed to channel Jane's power back onto her. In all her existence, she'd never felt her own power on herself. It was a startling realisation for Jane to feel the pain she'd inflicted on others for many a millennium.
I was covered in sweat and tensed to the high heavens because I'd refused to take a break. Arguing that there wouldn't be a break in battle, I demanded to keep going to hone my gifts of water and light. Light was the hardest to control which bothered me considering it was the first gift I unlocked. Light had its own agenda and you had to be very careful when using it and chose your words carefully. I'd learnt the hard way what happens when I gave vague orders to the light. Caius still hadn't forgiven me and insists that he's eyesight has gotten worse this the light blasted him. Silly vampire.
Water was easier to command because of its flowing nature. I could lazily command the water into doing my business, it was harder to command the water to attack as it seemed primarily used to defending and entertaining. It wasn't lost on me that my powers had a mind of their own, they were as much me as they were their own forms of life. There was only so much I could command them to do before they snapped back onto me. It was all about intent and how I chose to use them that corresponded directly to how they worked with me.
I was focused on living in harmony with my powers and through that I felt like I was learning more about my powers than most. My life was an extraordinary whirl of imagination come real and I was proud that I could stay as grounded as I was. I knew I was stronger now, not because of the powers, but because I had learnt to love myself through everything that had happened to me. There was a fire burning in my bones that made me want to become better, not just for the battle that was coming but for myself. The only person I had to prove myself to was me.
A single zap of electricity snapped me from my thoughts, Kate stood across from me with a smirk upon her face. I supposed she was happy to have caught me unawares. The thing about Kate's ability wasn't just that it hurt upon impact but that the pain lingers like a wasp sting. Kate's aim, annoyingly, had been my left butt cheek and I scowled as the pain throbbed there.
Calling upon my power of air, I commanded it to swirl up around Kate, trapping her within its grasp. As she became disoriented I followed the lines of my power and urged forth a whirlpool of water that I hurtled towards the swirling tornado of wind. To a supernatural that wasn't a vampire, I felt sure that the added element of water would have caused some damage. I'd asked the water to be razor sharp as it mingled with the air and knew it would cause a million different scratches upon the victim of my choice. As Kate was a vampire, I expected her to feel a little pain but otherwise remain unharmed.
Fuelled by the confidence that I could work two of my three powers together without fault, I tried for the hat trick. Summoning my light power took some work because I was already strained from the continual use of the other two powers, my light was powerful, bright and all consuming. I tried something different and tried to use the light to directly influence the water. I did not know if it would work but I channelled the thought of light hardening the water into crystals. I'd already learnt previously that I could use my light to evaporate the water, but I wanted to see if it could go the other way as well.
As my powers swirled around Kate in harmony I managed to keep them going a few minutes longer before I allowed them to stop and fade from sight. I barely managed not to fall to the floor in exhaustion. My hands were shaking, and I felt cold from the sweat that covered my body. Through my shaking and my exhaustion, I saw Kate looking as ragged as I felt. She truly looked like she'd been in the eye of the storm and though I couldn't see any physical signs of damage, I could see that she had experienced something that had shocked her.
"You alright there Kate?" I felt compelled to answer.
Even Jane looked perplexed at the state of Kate.
"How did you…I don't…oh my…I can't…"
"Do you think I broke her?" I asked Jane.
"Not sure but you certainly did something."
"I just tried using all three of my powers at the same time. I just figured since I've got used to using my powers individually, that I should try and use them together and get used to the feeling of using them together. I actually lasted longer than I would have thought but I am very tired now…"
It was clear to me that I needed to work harder at combining my powers and holding onto them in a way that didn't exhaust me so much. It would be something to think about and research so that I could safely use all three at once and not exhaust myself.
I felt oddly guilty for Kate's current state, I had no doubt she would recover from it and come back at me vigorously, but I worried that I had overdone it with what I had sent towards her. I argued with myself over the guilt I felt because on one hand it was necessary to learn all I could about my powers and push them to the extremes. We were heading into a war and there would be casualties no matter what I wanted, best that number of casualties is limited because I've learnt what I can do to help. Yet, my mind still had guilt for what I'd just done to Kate, it was ridiculous and an annoying tick that I tried to squash but no matter what I thought, the actions I'd taken were standing before me trying to form words.
"Well, you certainly don't do things by halves."
"Where's the fun in that Jane?"
"Indeed. Though, I'm glad Kate was at the end of your leach and not me this time."
"I'm sorry that the two of you keep being my test subjects, perhaps you shouldn't have been blessed with such a powerful gift yourselves."
"I was fine with my gift until you turned up with all your powers."
"No need to be bitter."
"No bitter…not even jealous…just amused by what gets thrown upon your shoulders."
"What a great friend you are, revelling in my misfortune."
"We've got to keep you grounded or you might get visions of grandeur and try to take over the world yourself."
"Funny…really imaginative Jane."
"I do try. Comedy is my middle name."
"Really? I thought it was pain."
"Har-har. Go on, get out of here before you expire, and Edward tries to kill me because of it."
"He wouldn't kill you."
"Well he'd seriously maim me, and I'd rather keep all my body parts intact."
"So dramatic."
"Says the girl whose boyfriend throws a fit a the most minuscule of things."
"I'm leaving now."
"See you later alligator."
"In a while crocodile."
I wish I'd never taught Jane that phrase…
[x]
In between the breaks of training I was working on theories inside my mindscape.
Eldre's sole goal was to become the ruler of all and while that was common knowledge, I wondered to what depth he intended to realise his goal in. The art of ruling a nation was lost on me as America wasn't ruled by a monarchy. Was it true that we excelled more when someone oversaw us or were we freer living without restraint? I knew that Eldre's form of ruling wouldn't be a happy one. He would rule with fear in his hand and hate in his heart. We would become fractured and exposed. Whatever hand Eldre had to play, I was willing to bet it would include setting us up against different fractions. Whether supernatural creatures or humans would come out on top was difficult to expect but I knew Eldre would enjoy watching it happen.
It made me think about what others would do as the ruler that Eldre inspired to be.
For myself, I'd like to be a wise and kind ruler. I like to think that I would take everyone's contributions to heart and strive to have a lively and prosperous kingdom. I would lay down rules that were subject to the species they governed but they would all be equal among each other. No species would be above another and I'd hope that we could live in some degree of harmony. I realised that the hope I had if I was a ruler was fictitious, for a world without prejudice, hate, and violence was like asking for a world without water, air, and fire. It was simply impossible to remove those from people's minds. Still, it was a nice thought to think about.
I would have set up a council that had representatives from each species so that each decision made for the better of the world would be beneficial to everyone involved.
Thinking about what I would do sparked an interest in me to find out how differently others would rule. I decided to run a small experiment to see what answers the others would give. In seeing other people's responses, I hoped to gain better inside into Eldre's plans for ruling. I already knew so much about him but what I knew was given to me either by Eldre himself or by the Ethereals. I wanted to form some opinions for myself. The first person I turned to was Edward, and I think my question helped him to let go of some of the emotions he'd been storing up since our fight that was intervened buy Anahita.
"I think, my Kingdom would be one that prospered but also one that came as a price. It would be easy to command from within my Kingdom's walls and I could be able to hear any assassination attempts before they could be completed. It would be difficult for me to rule hearing the thoughts of all my subjects, but I hope that it would only help me to protect them, fight for them, and give them what they wanted. I know however, that hearing the thoughts of others could also backfire on me if I allowed the thoughts to overwhelm me. I would like to bring harmony to all those I ruled above but I wouldn't try and force communities together. I would perhaps try to eradicate some of the fears that stand between different species and would work to show the humans that their world isn't so black and white."
Edward's answer was more structured than mine and I was interested to see that he knew his ability was both a strength and a weakness. I had expected a much stiffer answer than the one he had given me. It was calming to know that he'd rule similarly to how I would rule but in this fictitious question I'd posed, it was hard to see everyone uniting under one banner without a little chaos happening. I couldn't see humans laying down and accepting the changes to their world. They were more likely to want to drag any supernatural down into a secret underground camp to study and experiment on than they were likely to sit down and allow another to control them.
Though Edward's answer gave me hope that there could be a future where everyone was united, I knew that hope was as real as seeing a pig fly. From Edward I sought out Carlisle who I knew would have thought about his answer thoroughly before speaking. As someone who was so in tune to his human side, I felt that he would be able to offer an interesting view of things and I wasn't disappointed by the answer he gave.
"It is an interesting question to be asked Ella and I wonder what bought on the need to ask many about it. I won't delve further into what made you ask this question, but I will give you my version of an answer. If we were all exposed to each other, it would be a chaotic disaster and I only see bloodshed and death coming from that. I would gather a round table if you will of advisors from all levels of society. I would set laws to which they should govern by and I would send them out to different societies where they would rule in my stead. I think the world is a long way away from being able to live cohesively with all species. I would delegate to those I have placed to govern the different species. I would also provide a cohesive police force that would be able to solve all problems across the board of species. They would be just as well equipped to solve the problems that humans meet just as well as they could the problems vampires have or the fey have. I would have sound and just systems in place to deal with rule breakers and would strive to keep each species society to live in as much harmony as possible. The only inter mingling they would have would be the use of medicine. I believe that everyone should have access to medicine and if medicine from the Fey world could cure the humans around us, I'm make sure they had access to it and vice versus."
I was moved by Carlisle's words, he had truly thought about my question and given the answer that was closest to him. I couldn't help but think that Carlisle's idea of ruling outstripped both Edward's and my own. Carlisle had a unique ability to see the world around us in a different way. Carlisle had a heart of gold that was a rare quality among all species. He was right that the world wasn't ready for all of us to mingle together and yet that was exactly the plan that Eldre wanted to set into motion. I liked the idea that Carlisle intended to offer medicine to all and wouldn't discount medicine that worked for one species not working on another. To say that what Carlisle had said was the best outcome was high on my list right now but that wasn't to say that I was done with asking others the same question.
From Carlisle I moved onto Dad. I wanted a human view in this. Although, thinking of that, Dad was becoming less and less human the longer he transitioned into Christine's immortal mate. Still, he could give an answer based on the humans that lived on the earth.
Dad seemed almost flummoxed when I asked him the question and I found myself going into detail about the reasons why I was asking said question before I could get Dad to answer for himself. I imagined Dad would think of things from his view as Chief of Police. He started by saying he wouldn't want to rule anything, but I glared at him until he gave me a proper answer.
Dad's confidence had grown in leaps and bounds since meeting Christine, she complimented him in a way that seemed perfect and helped bring out the best in him. Before, Dad would have answered any question I posed to him, but it would have been down with awkwardness and missed eye contact. The man before me was whole and happy. A shadow of a man he was no longer.
"I wouldn't know the first thing about ruling but I suppose I would try and work a Kingdom that would be a benefit to all that lived within it. A Kingdom with strict rules would work best with punishments and rewards worked into its foundations. People would need to know what would happen if they broke the law, likewise, people would need to know what would happen should they achieve something of greatness. A Kingdom without laws would be a sorry sight, we thrive off the idea of freedom but with freedom and nothing else, chaos would soon take flight and become ruler. I would be strict but firm and I would rule my people through the hardships and into the golden eras. I would strive to be a ruler of the people and would hope that those around me would steer me clear should I be taking the wrong path. If I was an unfit King, I would do what I could to rectify the situation, even if it meant my abdication."
I could hear the uncertainty in Dad's words, he believed what he said but he also struggled with what he said. There was no doubt in my mind that Dad thought he was unworthy of being King, even though I asked a fictitious question, what I'd asked had impacted Dad in a way I had not expected. Whatever thoughts were warring in his head, I wasn't privy to them. It was of no surprise to me that Dad would want to rule with strict rules in place, being Chief of Police for so long had rubbed off on him. He knew from first-hand experience how people floundered when given complete freedom and equally how people turned when fighting what they thought were unreasonable rules.
So far, even though people had had different opinions on how they would rule, there were still common threads to them. Everyone wanted to be a fair and just leader, while keeping the peace, they also wanted to set firm rules to live by. The people who behaved badly would be punished but in a just and exact way that fitted the crime they'd committed.
So far, I'd concluded – that was glaringly obvious – that each one of the people I'd asked would rule differently from how Eldre planned to rule. Not that I'd expected that any of their answers to mirror Eldre, but I was interested that no one had thought to use fear as a tactic to keep people in line. Surely it wasn't so farfetched an idea to use, considering much of the rulers of the past used fear to keep their subjects in line.
From Dad, I wondered to Adrian, who I realised, would one day be King with Bella, his Queen. Adrian had to have already thought about what he would do when he was King, in fact, he'd probably had a plan laid out since he was little. His answer to my question was just as I'd expected it to be.
"As you know there is much discord within my Kingdom at the moment, being the heir to the Kingdom my parents sent me here to be safe while they sorted the problem. My first port of call when King would be to secure the vote of the people for a King without loyal subjects is a King of nothing. Should the problem with the dark fey still be going strong, I would investigate working out what makes Fey dark and whether I could do something to stop the process. If not, I would look to stabilising the dark Fey and help them to live cohesively with the rest of us. If they were evil beyond question I would like to investigate how to extract that evilness, or if it cannot be extracted, how I can keep them isolated and without power, without having to slaughter hordes. I would strive to have my Kingdom flourish and let everyone reap the rewards. I would not, however, let everyone run around with no leach, for a Kingdom cannot thrive without rules laid in place. I would hope that my laws would be acceptable and not considered too intrusive or restrictive. I would fight hard to make sure that the Kingdom prospered for all. I would like to raise a Kingdom that I would know was safe for my children."
Adrian had spoken like a true leader when he gave me his answer. It was clear that he had thought long and hard about what kind of ruler he would be, and I wasn't surprised by what he'd told me. He had such conviction and compassion in his voice that I had no doubt he would succeed in all he wished once he was King. To hear him talk about his children only endeared me to him further, for thinking about any future children that Bella might have, warmed my heart. Adrian's was an answer I could only inspire to have, where the others had only been answering a fictitious question with a vague sense of how they'd act, Adrian had the weight on his shoulders knowing that his rise to King would one day become a reality.
There were two more people I intended to get opinions from when really, I could have asked the entire company in the field and still find myself without answer. No, I went to the chosen few because I trusted their opinions more than others and I wanted opinions from people who stood in stark contrast to each other.
Jane was the second to last person I talked to, her answer differentiating from the others before her. I suppose I could see the benefit in Janes answer and how she had come to it. She had been a part of the Volturi longer than my Dad had been alive. She was, heavily influenced by how they ruled and that had shaped her answer.
"I grew up in a time where everyone was superstitious and where those that were different, stood out like a sore thumb. My brother and I were as different as they come, even as humans we had gifts that could not be explained, and we learnt very early on that the cost of our powers came at the price of hate, anger and fear being thrown at us. I learnt early on that fear was something I could use. Fear kept Alec and I alive, but it also kept us isolated. I can still see the merit of ruling with fear, but I am not sure I am that person anymore. I think fear goes hand in hand with ruling because subjects are always going to want to push the boundaries of what they can and can't do. Whatever good action a ruler does, there are many subjects lined up to preach about the bad actions he's done and the decisions he's made. I would not make a good ruler but if I had to, as your question suggests, I would still rule with fear in the foreground, but I would have a hand full of loyalty, kindness, and generosity as well for without the balance I would lose the Kingdom in a heartbeat. I have, I think, during my time with the Volturi, lost some of the vicious hate I had for humans, though I would not spare them if they stood in my way against something that I needed or loved dearly."
Jane's answer perplexed me the most because she was speaking from a place I hadn't seen her in yet. It was obvious that both Alec and Jane had suffered at the hands of humans for being different in a time of superstition, and though I knew they were known as being the pain twins of the Volturi, I could sense real pain that lay behind their eyes and had fused itself into their souls. It made perfect sense to me that Jane would want to use fear as a driving force behind controlling her fictitious Kingdom because that was what she'd grown up on and what she'd seen work. It was intriguing to see that she had sensed a change in herself that recognised she wasn't the same person she was when she was human and that she could let go of some of the hurt there. I had no doubt that Jane would make a formidable ruler, a woman who would allow her Kingdom to prosper but who would also never give a second chance to anyone.
Though Eldre also wanted to rule with fear, I could hear the logic behind Jane's reasons for using it and hear the hope she had for changing her ways. Eldre's plan for using fear was a simple as you would assume, but he had no opposing side or reward to draw people into accepting the fear. He planned to rule with fear alone and intended to use the fear to keep people inline. He was relying a lot on the weaker people to lead the stronger into a life of servitude.
The last people I wanted to ask were the Volturi Kings themselves because prior to meeting them, I'd only known what the Cullen's had told me and each had a different view. The Volturi were no nonsense people if you had broken one of their rules. They would hold a trial as such to decide your fate but if you had wronged them they would end your life without a moment's hesitation. They liked to collect rather than allow powers they valued to be free to roam but there had to be an element of strategy involved in what they did right?
True to their form of ruling together, they each gave their own opinions to which I was grateful. Caius spoke first.
"We attained our positions through blood, sweat and tears. We claimed the throne from the Romanians and set about strategically gaining power and laying down rules to be obeyed. The Romanian Coven lost their power because they were unorganised and unguarded. We made sure we had a safe place to function from and made sure that any vampires and mates that joined us would be safe from harm. We eradicated any who opposed us in the early years and wiped out a lot of the threats that other – now extinct – species posed to us. If I had had my way, I would have enslaved humanity to do our bidding and be our blood source but in time I have seen how ill that would have served us. I do dislike humans, but I would not rid the world of them as I once would have. I joined Aro and Marcus years after they'd teamed up, with a heart full or rage and violence, through the years I have tempered those urges but not enough that people have forgotten my anger. I am the first to judge others and usually the harshest voice in a judgment trial."
"Caius reminds us what is at stake and keeps us on our toes regarding threats from outside. He had coordinated all our battles since we became Kings and his disregard for humans is well placed for when we were human, humans were viler than they are now and spectacularly more creative in their killings. I was the one who knew what I wanted once I found myself in this strange life and power was what I had always seeked. If I was going to live this life, then I was going to live it better than anyone else and I succeeded in all I set out to do. We do understand how our own species views us as evil or without moral compasses and that is a view that we have continued to show on the outside. Vampires would usurp us the moment they felt any weakness from us and I am sorry to say that we use the fear others have in us to keep them in line. We are not forgiving rulers, every rule we have has been made to protect us and others, if someone is stupid enough to break that rule then they deserve what comes to them. We do not, however, take personal vendettas into our ruling, nor do we massacre any threats we have like we did many millenniums ago. We try to rule now, with a sense of inclusivity and work towards including everyone in the rules we make. We do however, still largely rely on fear to keep our subjects in line and are weary of Covens that suddenly gain power. In our society much of what happens is based on the powers given, which is why we try to collect those gifted in ways that outside, might harm us."
"What my dear brothers, Caius and Aro have said is true. We have come to rely on fear and word-of-mouth so much so that we would be hard pressed to rule without them. Vampires are not wallflowers by nature and through the millenniums we have ruled together we have learnt what works and what doesn't. There have been many methods that we've used to rule that worked in that moment yet wouldn't work now. Our ruling has been a learning curve as much as it has been a fight to maintain our rule. Over the years, our species has travelled, expanded, and evolved. The Cullen's are an example of that, before them we hadn't heard or seen a vampire not drink from a human. Some vampires prefer to travel alone, and, in some ways, they are more dangerous than those that live in Covens. We have had many vampires fighting for control of each other and learned the perils of that with the immortal children. Whatever others may think of us, we rule with the collective goal, that we not be exposed to humans, that is, our strictest rule and is only overlooked when a mate appears to be human – like your case. Other than our strictest rule, we govern quite reasonably, death is only a reward for our darkest of criminals, though to some eyes, we are already evil by our choice of meal. Our ruling will always change as the world moves forward but we try to keep the base of our ruling the same. We are, if not, efficient in our rule and too stubborn to ever change our ways."
The answers given to me by the brothers three were had more depth than I expected but were vaguer than I had thought. I supposed what I asked was quite personal to them and the way in which they ruled could be used against them. They did not want to tell me everything about how they govern less it get into enemy hands and be used against them. I understood that, though I smirked at their paranoia, however it was interesting to see what each bought to the table. I already knew that Caius was the strategist of the three of them, his thoughts and views on the upcoming battle assured that. Aro was, as confusing as ever, his effort to rule was pushed forward by obsession for power but he was a faithful ruler to the rules he'd first placed on the table. He understood that fear worked to keep his subjects in line but allowed people to form their own opinions in fear towards them instead of actively instilling that fear into them. He had been honest, and I respected that. Everyone seemed to know that Aro was a collector, it was what vampires feared most about him, that he would come in the night and take them away because of their power. Aro wasn't shy in offering what he called 'inclusion into the Volturi' as a punishment choice when wanting to acquire someone with a power. Carlisle told me long ago that he lived with the Volturi at one point in time and though Aro was intrigued by Carlisle way of life, he let the Doctor leave even though – as Carlisle expected – Aro would have liked to have kept him within his grasp.
My head was buzzing with the responses that everyone had given me. Within them I could cherry pick the parts I knew would be in my answer to the same question. It wasn't as if I was looking for a specific answer, I just wanted a more varied scope and to challenge what people would do if they had the power.
Eldre, I knew, was working to be a ruler for himself. He wanted total control over everyone – to push them into boxes, to be rejected and forgotten like he was. With Eldre, ruling wasn't about making a difference, it was about silencing those he held responsible for how his life had turned out. No one I'd asked had answered me with a selfish emotion-controlled answer. Everyone was different but Eldre wasn't even on the chart of different. I felt more confident knowing what others would do in the same position, I didn't think I could change Eldre's mind with words but I could use what others had said to create scenarios that would flounder under his rule and flourish under the rule of another.
It was, I realised later, less about the question and more about keeping me distracted. A storm was brewing on the horizon and I knew with the uttermost certainty that it was coming straight for me.